West Ham admit players are up for sale in transfer window

West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury has admitted that he is preparing to
receive bids for his top players in January including Craig Bellamy, Matthew
Upson and Scott Parker – though maintains that the final decision to sell
will rest with manager Gianfranco Zola.

Open to offers: Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy and Matthew Upson all have their price at West HamPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

With West Ham feeling the financial pinch more than most, Duxbury said all offers would be considered, though the Italian coach and not the commercial directors will ultimately decide whether a player is allowed to leave or not.

“We must not be afraid of interest in or bids for our leading players,” Duxbury said. “Each approach will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career.

“We have to consider the will of the player and whether he is committed to what we are trying to achieve.

“A bid may be evaluated by the manager as allowing him to significantly improve his team.”

West Ham have suffered several off-the-field problems of late, with owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson enduring major financial losses as a result of the credit crunch, while the Carlos Tevez affair continues to hang over the club and a hefty compensation payment could be due to Sheffield United.